Xavier Box

Becca Barniskis

I dodge the huge swag of laughter
swinging like a noose
in the darkened hall.
Pace its length.
There are many doors to consider.
This one being most likely
and most likely dangerous.
I am always ready to die
(although I hardly think it necessary);
this mission is extremely
simple: capture her before morning.

Becca Barniskis' chapbook of poems, Mimi and Xavier Star in a Museum That Fits
Entirely in One’s Pocket will be published in 2013 by Anomalous Press. Her poetry
has appeared in numerous journals, among them The Boiler, Mid-American Review,
burntdistrict, Conduit, and Prairie Schooner. She lives and works in Minnesota. beccabarniskis.com

Nick Jaffe, who collaborated with her on the audio version of these four poems and who is working with her on an audio version of the forthcoming chapbook, is a Chicago-based musician, recording engineer and teacher. He has performed as a guitarist with a wide variety of artists including Common, Dwele and Ice Cube and collaborates on music across genres. His most recent solo work includes an album that is a musical history of the Sputnik I satellite. http://nickjaffe.com